Ma'i'o
by rosefields
Summary: Danny Williams knew shock.  At least, he thought he did until about thirty seconds ago. He brought a hand to his tingling lips, looked at Steve. Steve, who was less than a foot from him, and looked more nervous than Danny could ever remember. Steve, his partner, badass, annoying SEAL. Steve, who had just kissed him.


**Hey everyone!**  
 **I'm not dead. Who knew, right? Anyway, this was a request (from a comment I've now lost, so sorry OP). I hope it's alright. I'm working my way through my requests, so feel free to send some in before I get to work on a new multi-chapter fic.**

* * *

Danny Williams knew shock. He'd seen his partner shot in front of him. He'd found out his wife was having a baby, twice. He'd met Steve McGarrett, so yeah, he knows shock. At least, he thought he did until about thirty seconds ago. He brought a hand to his tingling lips, looked at Steve.  
Steve, who was less than a foot from him, and looked more nervous than Danny could ever remember.  
Steve, his partner, badass, annoying SEAL.  
Steve, who had just kissed him.

Danny's thoughts raced, from yes to no to ohmygodI'mstraight! He backed away from Steve, let the beer he'd been holding fall the ground with the crack of shattering glass. Time sped back up until he was in real time.  
"Steve, what the hell? What the hell was that?"  
"Danny, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"  
"Oh, I think you did mean."  
Steve took a step back towards him; Danny stuck his palm out. "Just, stay away from me Steve. What the hell, what the fuck." Danny backed away, heading further towards Steve's front door. "Stay the fuck away from me." And then Danny ran, car keys in hand, peeling out of the driveway faster than you could say DADT.

* * *

When Danny arrived at work the next morning, he did so with the full intention of ignoring Steve for as long as humanly possible. It turned out he didn't need to. The second he stepped through the doors, Kono was by his side.  
"Hey, was Steve okay last night?"  
Danny did his best to not choke on the malasada n his mouth, "What? How would I know? Why are you asking me?"  
"Ah, because you were hanging out at his place last night? And he called in sick this morning? And he didn't even call in sick that time he had meningitis?"  
Danny let out a shaky laugh. "Oh, right. Ah, well, I wasn't there last night. Something, ah, came up. I wasn't there. I'm sure he's fine." Danny hurried to his office.

* * *

The rest of the day passed quietly, but Danny couldn't help but think of Steve. He looked at his screensaver, a picture of Grace and Steve, playing in the waves as Danny laughed in the background. A warmth bloomed in his heart, something he hadn't felt since Rachel. But, it was for Grace, he as sure; wasn't it?

* * *

Steve was back the next morning, and if Danny hadn't known better, he would have said the ex-SEAL really had been sick. Steve was pale, dark circles under his eyes. He was quiet, muttering hellos to Chin and Kono on the way to his office. The cold shoulder he gave Danny hurt more than he thought it would.

* * *

The day was coming to a close when they got the call. Danny picked up his phone, annoyed to see Rachel's number. It was a sure way to make a bad day worse.  
"Hello?"  
"Danny you need to get to the park near Auloa Road. Grace's class was there for a fieldtrip but there's someone there with a gun! Danny you need to get there!" ."  
Dann felt his breathe catch. "Have you called the police?"  
"No the school did but your team needs to be there! They can help."  
"I'll be there as soon as I can." As he said it, Danny was throwing on his vest, making sure his gun was in its' holster he hung up the phone, heading for the door only to be stopped by Chin.  
"What's going on Brah? Where're you heading so quickly?"  
"There's a shooter near Auloa. Grace is there." He tried to sidestep, but Chin was faster.  
"Okay. I'll go get Steve and Kono. We'll get ready and head over together, alright? There's no way you're going there alone though, not with Grace there." Danny nodded, itching to get to his daughter; arguing would have only wasted his time.

* * *

The team pulled up to the scene less than an hour later, the place already swamped with hysterical parents. Danny could see why. The excursion bus held the fifty school children, little heads not visible from where they had likely been told to crouch by their teachers. In front of it all, a man waving an automatic weapon of some kind, the movement as wild as his tangled hair. Danny stepped forward, hand already reaching for his gun when Chin's firm hand rested on his shoulder.  
"Conflict of interest brah. You need to leave this one to us, okay? You're only here because we knew we couldn't leave you behind."  
He shrugged the hand off. "I need to be there."  
Steve stepped forward. "I'll go in. We send a heavy presence in and he's going to lose it. Local PD said he was threatening to blow up the gas tank."  
Danny wanted to protest, wanted to argue that it was his daughter therefore his call, but Chin and Kono were nodding, heading towards the police cars to get ready to cover their boss. Steve was striding forward, gun raised non-confrontationally and Danny really had no choice but to follow the cousins.

Danny watched with bated breath as Steve spoke with the crazed man, words lost in wind that went the wrong way. Get tried to follow the conversation, from Steve bending down to place his gun on the pavement, the man's motions becoming more frantic as Steve's became more placating. He saw what was about to happen a second before it did. Steve took another step forward, palms up, the man's motions reached a crescendo and he moved the gun, aiming towards the bus as parents screamed from the side like a sick parody of a football game. Steve leapt forwards, taking fire as the gun changed direction at the last minute, tackling the man to the ground.

There was a scuffle, voices shouting, fists swinging as every officer in the area tried to get a clear shot that wouldn't take out the ex-SEAL. A minute that felt like an hour passed, and the man's hand emerged, gun free but pinned to his back, a heaving Steve pressing him to the ground, police streaming in to push handcuffs even as Steve fell back, the impact of bullets that for once only struck his vest finally sinking in, ribs likely protesting or broken from their force. But though Steve was on the ground, like the rest of the parent's in the vicinity, Danny had eyes only for the group of terrified children being ushered from the bus by police.

It took Dany seconds to see Grace's head amongst the throng, pig-tails held with smiling pink dolphin bobbles. He ran towards her, feet caring him without direct instruction.  
"Gracie." Danny breathed, pulling the shaking little girl closer to him. She gripped round his neck tightly and he stood, keeping her close. She wouldn't be let out of his sight for a long while. When he finally raised his eyes from her hair, they were drawn to the figure opposite, watching Grace with a mixture of longing and relief. Steve looked like a lost puppy, a small trail of blood leaking from his lip, arms curling around himself making the hulking figure appear small, almost fragile, two words Danny never though would be able to be applied to the man. The warmth that had been chasing at the edges of his heart for days surged, fire alight inside and Danny put Grace down, crossing the park in quick strides until he was face to face with Steve.

The poor guy looked like he was about to be hit. Danny's breathe came in sharp, heaving pants and it filled the space between them. Steve, never a coward, opened his mouth to speak. He didn't get a word in because then Danny moved forward, and then they were kissing.

It was like the night at Steve's house, but more, better because Danny knows they will not break apart with him running away. Lips met each-other; Danny could taste the metallic tinge of blood, the salty tang of sweat and beneath it all something sweet Steve had surely eaten earlier. He could feel the sharp tang of Steve's earlier coffee as he lunged deeper but none of that mattered because he was kissing Steve and Steve was kissing him back and really, that's all that mattered.

The brunette's hands scrambled for purchase on the back of Danny's shirt, coming to rest in a tangle with his hair. Danny's own palm hugged the flushed warmth of Steve's cheek, the other pulling him close from the small, of his back. It was fast and slow all at the same time and with a rush of air it was over. Danny opened his eyes, not sure when they had closed, and Steve's too were shut, lips still parted as if afraid to open his eyes and realise it had all been a dream. Danny moved his hand, gently running the knuckles down the side of Steve's face until his eyes opened with an exhale.  
"Danny?" the tone was confused verging on hurt and Danny couldn't have that, not at all. He rested his forehead on Steve's downturned one.  
"I think I was a bit of an idiot babe."  
A grin broke across Steve's face, lighting what had been dark all throughout the day.  
Grace was running towards them, coming from her mother's embrace. She threw herself between the two men. And as Danny circled his arms around her, Steve's coming to wrap around him, he realised, that for perhaps the first time since Rachel and Stan and every relationship in between, that with those two people by him, he was completely, well and truly, content.

 **Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**  
 **Rose xx**


End file.
